Podcast: The Slowdown

Every weekday, Tracy K. Smith delivers a different way to see the world – through poetry. Produced in partnership with the Poetry Foundation and supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

1074: My Father and I Drive to St. Louis for His Mother’s Funeral and the Wildflowers by Chaun Ballard

Today’s poem is My Father and I Drive to St. Louis for His Mother’s Funeral and the Wildflowers by Chaun Ballard. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Current global conflicts and discussions of borders spotlight the privilege of mobility. An American passport admits entry into 184 countries. Yet, even…

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1073: Great Question by Lisa Olstein

Today’s poem is Great Question by Lisa Olstein. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Why do we lean on love so much for sustenance? When passion dwindles to a set of burned twigs, where once there was a raging fire; it’s as though a theft has occurred, the result…

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1072: Under the Bed by Kirun Kapur

Today’s poem is Under the Bed by Kirun Kapur. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “While not the equivalent of glimpsing the spirit world cleave the air, the insight of poets amounts to a kind of clairvoyance. They make connections that close the gap between the known and the…

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1071: Ode to the Idea of France by Dan Alter

Today’s poem is Ode to the Idea of France by Dan Alter. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “At parties, I jokingly discuss with friends about collectively purchasing property, maybe even a castle. I want us to live out our days together, to communally enact our shared values. They……

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1070: Thirteen by Anna V.Q. Ross

Today’s poem is Thirteen by Anna V.Q. Ross. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem celebrates the glow and growth of daughters, their energy and curiosity, their intuition and vulnerability.” Celebrate the power of poems with a gift to The Slowdown today. Every donation makes a difference: https://tinyurl.com/rjm4synp

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1069: An Exchange by Corey Marks

Today’s poem is An Exchange by Corey Marks. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “After a decade and a half of living in Vermont, one morning I thought, “Road signs all over the state and still no sighting of a moose?” Then, one morning, a large four-legged bulk of…

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1068: Fish Pier, Santa Monica

Today’s poem is Fish Pier, Santa Monica by Vernon Duke, translated by Boris Dralyuk. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s poem taps into the beauty and spirit of California seaside beaches, whose amassed mythology and symbolism feeds so much of how we imagine and hear America.” Celebrate the…

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1067: blues-elegy for cheryl

Today’s poem is blues-elegy for cheryl by Evie Shockley. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Despite the attacks on academic institutions, despite the diminishing power of free inquiry, scholarly work benefits us all. So much critical inquiry is born out of wonder and curiosity, like a crackling in the…

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1066: Casual Labor

Today’s poem is Casual Labor by Sandy Solomon. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “Today’s wonderful poem models a courageous leap beyond fear into a wholehearted kindness. The poem invites us to lean into each other with generosity so that we no longer flinch at the messy richness of…

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1065: First of March

Today’s poem is First of March by Stacie Cassarino. The Slowdown is your daily poetry ritual. In this episode, Major writes… “I learned from all those mornings of weekly commuting — living in Burlington, Vermont and teaching in New York City — that my passions run in every direction. To the critique and dismay of…

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